Ohio state agency director was responsible for misuse of Joe the Plumber's records
The Columbus Dispatch reports that a suspect has emerged in the misuse of information on Joe the Plumber (Hat tip: Hot Air):
There appears to be a second culprit discovered as well (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin):
Joe may sue for their abuse of info about him. I certainly hope he does. The Columbus Dispatch (also via Michelle) has fortunately condemned the snoopers:
Ohio’s inspector general is investigating why a state agency director approved checking the state child-support computer system for information on “Joe the Plumber.”Unsurprisingly, she's a big Obama supporter too. "No political reasons"? Riiiiiiiiight. This woman should be dismissed from her job for abusing her positions to help harass a decent man.
Helen Jones-Kelly, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, confirmed today that she OK’d the check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher following the Oct. 15 presidential debate.
She said there were no political reasons for the check on the sudden presidential campaign fixture though the Support Enforcement Tracking System.
Amid questions from the media and others about “Joe the Plumber,” Jones-Kelley said she approved a check to determine if he was current on any ordered child-support payments.
There appears to be a second culprit discovered as well (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin):
Toledo Police have confirmed that a TPD records clerk is accused of performing an illegal search of information related to ‘Joe the Plumber.’I should hope she gets shown the door as well.
Julie McConnell, has been charged with Gross Misconduct for allegedly making an improper inquiry into a state database in search of information pertaining to Samuel Wurzelbacher on Oct. 16.
Wurzelbacher came under the spotlight after being spoken about during the final presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.
The inquiry into Wurzelbacher’s record is a violation of department and state policy governing the use of the Law Enforcement Automated Data System. The clerk is under fire for making the inquiry for a non-law enforcement purpose.
McConnell was hired by the Toledo Police Department in April 1995 and assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau.
Joe may sue for their abuse of info about him. I certainly hope he does. The Columbus Dispatch (also via Michelle) has fortunately condemned the snoopers:
Gov. Ted Strickland should order his agency directors not to snoop on private citizens who land in the campaign spotlight. Such scrutiny could have a chilling effect on the willingness of people to stand up and be counted prior to elections.Absolutely correct.
It also undermines the confidence of all Ohioans that their state government is serious about protecting sensitive information…Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles is investigating whether the data-checking was improper or illegal. Through public-records requests, The Dispatch has determined that there were at least four checks for records on Wurzelbacher. That sounds like an effort to dig up dirt.
Driver’s-license and vehicle-registration data about Wurzelbacher were obtained from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Also, the State Highway Patrol is investigating unauthorized access to data about Wurzelbacher in the attorney general’s office from a test account that the office shared with contractors who developed a computer network for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.
Unauthorized and unjustified dredging of restricted government databases to find possibly embarrassing information on Americans simply for participating in democracy is unacceptable.
At the very least, Jones-Kelley should be reproved, and anyone who conducted an illegal search of Wurzelbacher’s records should be prosecuted.
Labels: Moonbattery, Ohio, political corruption, United States
